The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball team battled, but the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 77-65 in the first round of the Northern Sun Conference tournament played in Marshall, Minnesota.
FIRST QUARTER-
UMC scored the first basket of the game when Rayna Klejeski (Jr. Barnum) made a basket in the paint. After four straight Mustang points, Klejeski scored in the paint again with a nice move inside to tie the game at 4-4. Southwest built a 16-9 lead with 1:18 left in the quarter. UMC responded with an 8-0 run on three-pointers from Hope Dudycha (Jr. Austin) and Emma Miller (Sr. Albertville), which was followed by a long two-pointer from Riley Jenkins (Jr. Galesburg, IL) for a 17-16 lead with 20 seconds left. Nobody scored in the final seconds of the quarter, and it looked like the Golden Eagles led 17-16, but the officials reviewed a three-pointer made by Southwest and said it was after the shot clock, and took three points away from the Mustangs and the Golden Eagles took a 17-13 lead into the second quarter.
SECOND QUARTER –
UMC kept their run going to start the second quarter as Miller made a runner to cap a UMC 10-0 run for a 19-13 lead. UMC led 23-17 after another Miller basket when Southwest went on a 9-0 run for a 26-23 lead halfway through the quarter. UMC answered with a Miller basket and after a Mustang basket, Klejeski added another basket and the Golden Eagles trailed 28-27 with 2:35 left in the half. Southwest outscored UMC 4-2 in the final two minutes to take a 32-29 lead into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER –
UMC had a great start to the third quarter by going on a 7-0 run with baskets from Klejeski, Miller, and a three-point play from Jenkins for a 36-32 lead two minutes into the quarter. After the teams exchanged baskets, Southwest went on a 7-0 run to take a 41-38 lead. UMC’s Westby stopped the run with a basket and that started a back-and-forth battle the rest of the quarter as Southwest took a 50-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER –
Southwest had a strong start to the fourth quarter by going on a 9-4 run to take a 59-50 lead less than two minutes into the quarter.UMC’s Miller buried a three-pointer and Dudycha added a layup to bring the Golden Eagles within a 59-55 deficit with 7:37 left in the game. Southwest answered with five points from Audrey Swanson for a 66-55 lead halfway through the quarter. Crookston’s Klejeski made two free throws before the Mustangs made a big three-pointer for a 69-57 lead. UMC’s Miller tried to get her team back within striking distance with a basket and a three-pointer, but each time Southwest had an answer and won the game 77-65.
UMC ends the season with a record of 8-21 overall and will say goodbye to the NSIC Women’s Basketball all-time career leading scorer Emma Miller, who finished her career with 25 points. They will also say goodbye to Hope Dudycha, Riley Jenkins, and Natalie Mikrot. Southwest Minnesota State improves to 17-11 overall and will play the University of Mary in the NSIC quarterfinals in Sioux Falls.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| UMC | 17 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 65 |
| Southwest | 13 | 19 | 18 | 27 | 77 |
| For UMC | Points | Rebounds | Misc. |
| Emma Miller | 25 | 1 | |
| Rayna Klejeski | 14 | 4 | 1 assist |
| Anna Westby | 11 | 10 | 4 blocks |
| Hope Dudycha | 7 | 2 | 1 assist/1 steal |
| Riley Jenkins | 5 | 5 | 2 steals/1 assists/1 block |
| Natalie Mikrot | 3 | 3 | 1 assist |
